In the 1900s, the average life expectancy for a woman was 50 years; today, that life expectancy has increased to almost 80, which means that women can expect to live a third of their lives after menopause. In addition to menopause, this article discusses holistic therapies for preventing and treating common female health problems, including PMS, dysmenorrhea, vaginitis, and fibrocystic breast disease.

Diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation, exercise, and stress management are holistic approaches intended to help women regain their health and maintain overall well-being. Health guidelines for women: Stop smoking. Cigarette smoking is one of the primary risk factors for lung and breast cancer, and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women; Maintain good nutrition by reducing fat in the diet and taking calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis; Get an annual Pap smear to test for cervical cancer; Get a yearly clinical breast examination in a doctor's office, combined with self-breast examinations each month; If over the age of 50, get an annual mammogram; Protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases.

Fibrocystic breast disease (FBD)--also known as cystic mastitis--is a noncancerous condition marked by the presence of nodules or cysts, which may or may not be accompanied by pain and tenderness. The lumps can be either firm or soft, and may change in size. FBD is typically cyclical, and usually disappears during pregnancy and nursing. While FBD can develop at any age, it is most likely to appear between the age of 30 and menopause. To diagnose FBD, a physician extracts fluid from the cysts with a needle. A mammogram is usually taken to rule out cancer. If FBD is diagnosed, treatment focuses on relieving pain and tenderness, and reducing or eliminating the cysts. While conventional options for severe symptoms include hormonal therapies, which can have undesirable side effects such as weight gain, growth of facial and bodily hair, headaches, fatigue, blood clots, depression, and nerve problems, there are alternative treatments such as botanical therapies; massage; nutritional therapies; vitamin and mineral therapies; and iodine supplements.

Fibroids--believed to be partially caused by the build-up of estrogen--are nonmalignant tumors that grow within the uterine wall. If detected early enough, fibroids can be treated with holistic therapies. However, the first step in prevention is to have your gynecologist perform uterine examination each year. Treatments for fibroids include Botanical Medicines combined with Nutritional Therapies. Holistic health consultants advise fibroid sufferers to cut down on red meat, fried and sugary foods, whole milk dairy products, and processed foods. In addition, women at risk for fibroids should eliminate coffee, tea, chocolate, and cola drinks, and to consume more beans, rice, soy products, fresh vegetables, fruit and fish. In addition, colonic irrigations may effectively shrink fibroids by clearing the bowel tract of the impurities that may cause the disorder. However, botanical, nutritional and colonic therapies are less effective for the treatment of large fibroids. Surgery is normally recommended in severe cases, although each woman should inquire about alternatives to hysterectomy.

Menopause occurs when a women no longer menstruates and, as a result, can no longer bear children. Even after menopause, a woman's body continues producing estrogen, though far more slowly. Common symptoms include fatigue, nervousness, excessive sweating, breathlessness, headaches, loss of sleep, joint pain, depression, irritability, and impatience. Treatments for menopause include Botanical Therapies; Deep breathing exercises; Estrogen replacement therapies; Exercise; Nutritional Therapies; and Vitamin and Mineral Therapies.

Each month, from puberty until menopause, a woman's body prepares to conceive, nurture and give birth to a new human being. The ovaries begin to manufacture estrogen, which triggers the thickening of the uteral lining with blood vessels, glands, and cells in anticipation of new life. However, as many as 70 per cent of women experience some form of menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) during their period, and 15 per cent have cramps severe enough to be disabling. Other symptoms of dysmenorrhea, in addition to cramping pelvic pain, include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Treatments for dysmenorrhea include Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Nutritional Therapies, and Osteopathic Therapy. Many women also suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), often caused by uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, endometrial hyperplasia, and endometriosis. Other factors believed to contribute to menorrhagia are iron deficiency, hypothyroidism, vitamin A deficiency, and intrauterine devices. The first step in the treatment for menorrhagia is to rule out serious causes. When the excessive bleeding has been determined to be functional, i.e. not due to any disease, therapies that may be beneficial include Nutritional Therapies, Thyroid Hormone supplements, and Vitamin and Mineral Therapies.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the term used to describe the physical or behavioral changes that many women undergo 7 to 10 days before their monthly periods begin. The principal physical and emotional symptoms of PMS include water retention, weight gain, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, swollen hands and feet, constipation, feelings of depression, irritability, tension and anxiety, mood swings, a change in sex drive, and inability to concentrate. The symptoms, which reappear at about the same time each month, usually disappear once a woman's menstrual period begins. Treatments for premenstrual syndrome include Botanical Therapies, Exercise, Taking a natural sedative such as chamomile tea before a hot bath, Homeopathic Therapies, Nutritional Therapies, Progesterone Therapy, and well as walking, jogging, tennis and yoga.

Vaginitis, or yeast infection, is one of the most common reasons women visit a physician. The symptoms for vaginitis include frequent, moist vaginal discharges, vaginal odor, vulval or vaginal itching, burning or irritation, and painful urination after intercourse. Several factors increase a woman's susceptibility to vaginitis. These include the use of antibiotics, oral contraceptives, diabetes, pregnancy, obesity, excessive, improper douching, a vitamin B deficiency, menopausal thinning of the vaginal wall, and cuts or abrasions in the genital area. Treatments for vaginitis include acidophilus--the friendly bacteria--which may either be taken in yogurt form, swallowed in capsules or tablets, or applied externally as a topical treatment; Nutritional therapies, which recommend a basic diet low in fats, sugars and refined foods, and an increase of acidophilus yogurt and garlic.